Fall Semester Interview Program (FIP) Application Period Now Open

The application period for our Fall Semester Interview Program (FIP) is now open. FIP is designed to give students an opportunity to pursue summer positions with public interest organizations, government agencies, and/or small firms.

The application period ends at 5 p.m. on August 31, 2011.

We are currently expecting about 30 employers to participate in FIP, which will take place at the Haas School of Business Interview Center (a 5 minute walk from Boalt Hall) from September 19th through October 7th. FIP is structured more like the Spring OCI program (in which you may have participated as a 1L) than EIW. Interviews are assigned based on employer selections rather than a random lottery. You can apply for interviews at any time during the application period via the OCI tab in b-Line. After the application period ends, employers review application materials and invite (via b-Line) students with whom they would like to interview to sign up for a slot.

As we’ve mentioned before, an effective government or public interest job search will need to focus on a range of strategies in addition to FIP. You should also be checking PSLawNet and the “Jobs” tab of b-Line regularly for public interest and government positions. Many government, public interest and small firms choose to post positions on b-Line in lieu of registering for one of our on-campus interview programs. We can also help you develop a targeted email list of employers who are not participating in FIP to contact.

Plan also to attend the two major employer receptions taking place on campus this Fall: the CDO’s Fall PI/PS Employer Reception (Sept 14th; click here for a list of employers who attended last year), and the Field Placement Program’s Internship/Externship/Pro Bono Fair (Nov 3rd). These receptions are great opportunities to talk to over 70 public interest & government employers wishing to recruit Berkeley Law students.

Finally, please don’t hesitate to make an appointment or come by during drop-in hours to speak to any of the Attorney-Counselors at the CDO for help and guidance navigating your summer job search.